A tragic fire in Queens' Sunnyside neighborhood claimed the life of a 64-year-old man early this morning. According to authorities, the fire started on the first floor of a home on 46th Street before sunrise, specifically just before 3 a.m. The fatal blaze, which swept through the two-story residence, reportedly extended to the awning of an adjacent home, igniting more than just the combustible materials found within, but also the urgency of firefighters challenged by the city's brisk gales, as reported by ABC News.
The deceased, whose identity has yet to be disclosed as officials seek to notify kin, was discovered "sprawled out on the floor in a backroom" by firefighters, say sources close to the investigation and confirmed by New York Daily News, the man was also described as a hoarder, which might have compounded the dangers that come with such an inferno. The fire remains under investigation as FDNY marshals work to piece together the spark that set this tragedy alight.
The blaze not only extinguished a life but inflicted injuries upon three firefighters who engaged the consuming flames, one of whom was treated at New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell, and the others at Mount Sinai-Queens, all sustaining minor injuries, "one taken to New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center with a minor injury," as indicated by New York Daily News.
Further details will be divulged as FDNY fire marshals continue to investigate.
